Atletico Madrid were indebted to goalkeeper Sergio Asenjo for helping them escape from their trip to Tenerife with a point.
Asenjo was beaten after just three minutes when Francisco Nino put Tenerife ahead, but the 4.5million euro summer signing from Real Valladolid saved everything the home side could throw at him after that - which proved to be a considerable amount.
The pick of his stops was a brilliant penalty save in the 43rd minute to keep out Nino`s spot-kick, but just as crucial was his injury-time block to deny the same player as Tenerife almost took the points with the last attack of the match.
If that had gone in it would have been the second time in as many games that Atletico had lost in the dying minutes having gone down 2-1 at home to Villarreal last weekend, and it would have made it a miserable Christmas for the capital club.
Not that it will be a happy one anyway, with Atletico having had a miserable first four months of the season, both domestically and in Europe.
Quique Sanchez Flores` men also had to do without star striker Sergio Aguero for their testing trip to a Tenerife side who, despite also being down near the relegation zone, had picked up all but one of their 14 points at home.
Atletico must therefore have feared the worst when the hosts went ahead almost immediately when Juanlu`s deep free-kick was volleyed across the face of goal by Alejandro Alfaro for the unmarked Nino to tap home from close range.
Fortunately for Atletico though, they were only behind for 19 minutes before Jose Manuel Jurado drew them level with a well-worked goal.
Cleber Santana's pass into Diego Forlan on the edge of the Tenerife area was immediately stabbed into Jurado's path by the Uruguay international and the former Real Madrid midfielder powered into the box before smashing an unstoppable shot past Sergio Aragoneses.
That was about as good as it got for Atletico in the first half though, and they can consider themselves fortunate not to have been behind at the break.
The main reason for that was Asenjo, who superbly saved Alfaro`s 25-yard strike whilst also denying Mikel Alonso.
Than came the 20-year-old`s penalty save from Nino, with the kick being awarded for handball against Alvaro Dominguez when he tried to cut out a cross. Dominguez lifted up his shirt claiming the ball had struck him on the chest, but the referee was unmoved and Atletico needed the heroics of Asenjo to keep them on level terms.
Asenjo got some help just after half-time when Santana`s crucial sliding block denied Nino, before the Spain Under-21 international was back in the action to keep out Ayoze Garcia`s effort.
The final 10 minutes saw both sides go close to netting what might well have been a winner.
In the 82nd minute Atletico defender Juanito headed a good chance over, before visiting substitute Florent Sinama Pongolle spurned a great chance in injury-time to earn the Rojiblancos only their fourth win of the season.
Santana`s delicate chip over the Tenerife full-back put Sinama Pongolle through on goal, but he fired wide with only Aragoneses to beat.
There was still time after that for Tenerife to create one more chance, but Asenjo was again alert the danger to keep out Nino`s overhead kick as the game finished all-square.
No comments:
Post a Comment